What does Isobutane do?

Used in cosmetics as a propellant. Isobutane, less than 0.1% w/w butadiene.

Critical concern: classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicity (CMR). It is banned in EU cosmetics.

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Isobutane

CAS 70357-15-2 · 100/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 3 other CAS numbers

100494-20-0 · 1326305-81-0 · 75-28-5

Concern score

100/100Critical concern driven by cmr.

High confidence

Isobutane in plain language

What it is: Also known as Isobutane, if it contains = >0,1% w/w Butadiene · 2-Methylpropane · (CH3)2CH-CH3 · 1,1-Dimethylethane · Caswell No. 503A · E943b
Show all 16 names
Ec 200-857-2 · Isobutan · Propane, 2-methyl- · Purifrigor Iso 2 · R 600A · Trimethylmethane · UNII-BXR49TP611 · i-Butane · iso-Butane · isobutano
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a propellant. Isobutane, less than 0.1% w/w butadiene.
Propellant
Is it a concern?: Critical concern: classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxicity (CMR). It is banned in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

Isobutane, if it contains = >0,1% w/w Butadiene is prohibited in cosmetic products under Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.

RestrictedEU EC — banned

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.

EU Annex II — prohibited
EU prohibited in cosmetics
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Cleaning
Industrial

EUEC
Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products. CMR: Carcinogenic Cat. 1A(),Mutagenic Cat. 1B()
banned
View source →

USFDAinactive ingredient database4 entries — 2 administration routes
- Route: RECTAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Maximum daily exposure: 142 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL; Maximum daily exposure: 4484 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Potency: 18 %w/wSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, SPRAY; Maximum daily exposure: 4484 mgSource →
EUCosIngActive2 entries
- Isobutane, less than 0.1% w/w butadieneSource →
- Cosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 464.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinionSafety assessment of the substance isobutane, for use in food contact materials (EFSA CEF)
- Safety assessment of the substance isobutane, for use in food contact materials (EFSA CEF)Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 7397 composition records across product categories including Pet and animal care, Cleaning products and household care, Construction and building materials. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Propellants, non-motive (blowing agents), No specific technical function.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 7397 composition records across product categories including Pet and animal care, Cleaning products and household care, Construction and building materials. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Propellants, non-motive (blowing agents), No specific technical function.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Safety assessment of the substance isobutane, for use in food contact materials (EFSA CEF)
  2018 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Isobutane yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

9 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2010-10-15
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated september 1, 2022
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Isobutane in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

7,397

Named organisations

Pet and animal careCleaning products and household careConstruction and building materialsHome maintenanceVehicleRaw materials

Typical roles

Propellant

See products using Isobutane →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Isobutane; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 829 →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Isobutane in the catalog.